The Voice - Student Newspaper

Tuition hikes rejected by district

By Justin Shepard
Online Editor, The VOICE

Students in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) can take a sigh of relief.

For now, they do not have to worry about spending even more money to attend school.

On Mar. 24, MCCCD governing board members voted 4-1 against a tuition increase for its community colleges.

If the proposal had passed, it would have raised costs 5 dollars per credit hour for students that are county residents and 27 dollars per credit hour for non-country residents.

According to azcentral.com, "the tuition increase would have created 12.5 million dollars in additional funding for the system, which serves 230,000 students and 30,000 more who take non-credit classes."

The district currently includes ten community colleges. Country residents now pay 71 dollars each credit hour and non-county residents pay 268 dollars (subject to change) each credit hour.

A tuition hike would have a drastic impact on current and future students at community college's, especially during the current economic crisis.

John De La O, a business major at Glendale Community College, is glad that the tuition increase was rejected. "If prices were increased it would have meant more money coming out of my pocket. This means more of that nasty four-letter word, 'work'."

De La O, however, is not getting too comfortable with the tuition fees remaining the same for now.

"I worry that since they kept tuition prices the same this time around, it means that they will double the prices next time."

Debra Thompson, vice chancellor of business services for the MCCCD told azcentral.com that the fee increase was proposed "as a way of addressing state cuts that have occurred or might occur and also as a way of addressing the needs we might have for students."

6.5 million dollars has been cut from the district's 57 million dollars in state funding in recent months due to the slumping economy.

Please send comments to jshepard@gccvoice.com